
Once you confirm that you’re an administrator and using your Microsoft account, go back to the If you don’t yet have a Microsoft account, see If not, you’re logged in with a local account. If an email address is displayed, this is a Microsoft account. To confirm you're using an administrator account, select theĬreate a local user or administrator accountĬonfirm that the administrator account is also your Microsoft account by checking to see if an email address is displayed above Sign in as an administrator to add your Microsoft account. To link your Microsoft account, follow these instructions: If you have purchased a license for this device already and still receive an error message, continue to If you need to purchase a license for your device, see "Purchase a Windows 11 license." You might need to purchase Windows 11 to activate. You will see an error message explaining the failure. Your Microsoft account is already linked to your digital license. Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account Your Microsoft account is not linked to your digital license. Windows is activated with a digital license You'll see one of these activation status messages on the Activation page: Your activation status will be listed next to

When he isn't working on a computer or DIY project, he is most likely to be found camping, backpacking, or canoeing.To check activation status in Windows 11, select the He has designed crossovers for homemade speakers all the way from the basic design to the PCB. He regularly repairs and repurposes old computers and hardware for whatever new project is at hand. He enjoys DIY projects, especially if they involve technology. He also uses Proxmox to self-host a variety of services, including a Jellyfin Media Server, an Airsonic music server, a handful of game servers, NextCloud, and two Windows virtual machines. He has been running video game servers from home for more than 10 years using Windows, Ubuntu, or Raspberry Pi OS.


Nick's love of tinkering with computers extends beyond work. In college, Nick made extensive use of Fortran while pursuing a physics degree. Before How-To Geek, he used Python and C++ as a freelance programmer. He has been using computers for 20 years - tinkering with everything from the UI to the Windows registry to device firmware.

Nick Lewis is a staff writer for How-To Geek.
